A change-over device for an intermediate damping roller in an offset printing press is disclosed in our copending U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No.491,507, filed Mar. 12, 1990. When the two intermediate rollers of a roller pair are at their first setting as connecting rollers between the damping unit and the inking unit, the device has four nips in relation to the first inking roller, the second roller being effective as a storage roller and smoothing roller on the first ink spreader roller. At a second setting, in which the rollers both engage with the damping roller, because of the separation of the damping unit from the inking unit, the two rider rollers on the damping roller can control mottling caused by the blank parts of the plate cylinder. When a third roller is introduced into the bearing socket of the second roller, communication between the inking unit and the damping unit is restored without impairment of the operation of the two rollers. Since there are three cooperating rollers, the latter setting leads to very rapid achievement of equilibrium between the ink and the damping agent and is also highly effective against mottling in both the inking unit and the damping unit.